Top Ten Tuesday - New Authors Read in 2021

I don't usually participate in these, but this one intrigued me and I had the time so thought I'd participate with That Artsy Reader Girl.  Here are my Top Ten new authors to me with the books I read in 2021 in the order which I liked them:

(1)    William Kent Kruegar - THIS TENDER LAND:  Historical fiction about two brothers and their friends escaping from an Indian school. (Gerard & Karen 5 stars)

(2)    Sally Hepworth - THE GOOD SISTER:  Story about an autistic librarian and her sister.  (Karen 5 stars, Gerard 4.5 stars)

(3)    Matt Killeen - ORPHAN MONSTER SPY:  Historical fiction in Nazi Germany about a girl who assists a spy.  (Gerard & Karen 5 stars)

(4)    Melanie Benjamin - THE CHILDREN'S BLIZZARD:  Sad historical fiction about prairie school teachers and the children who got caught in a blizzard.  (Gerard 5 stars, Karen 4 stars)

(5)    Heidi Perks - HER ONE MISTAKE:  Two women and baby sitting gone wrong with twists and surprises along the way.  (Gerard 5 stars, Karen 4 stars)

(6)    Meredith May - THE HONEY BUS:  A memoir of how the author was saved by bees.  An educational read about bees.  (Gerard 5 stars, Karen 4 stars)

(7)    Phillip Margolin - A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH:  Robin, a defense attorney defends two men charged with murder who she believes to be innocent.  Lots of action and twists.  (Gerard - 5 stars, Karen 4 stars)

(8)    John Feinstein - THE WALK ON:  A good sports story about a high school freshman quarterback and his team.  (Karen 4 stars)

(9)    Fiona King Foster - THE CAPTIVE:  Adventure, suspense, survival and family secrets.  (Karen & Gerard 4 stars)

(10)    Jane Choate - THE STOLEN CHILD:  Romance between the father of a stolen child and an ex FBI agent who helps him find her.  (Gerard 4 stars, Karen 3 stars)

To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"The Nature of Fragile Things" by Susan Meissner is Thrilling Historical Fiction

The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner is the story of a mail order bride from Ireland coming to San Francisco to marry a widower and become a mother to his 7-yr.-old daughter shortly before the great earthquake of 1906.  The full story unfolds slowly, but there is enough action along the way to keep the reader interested.  Sophie answers Martin Hocking's ad for a wife and mother because she is not happy living in bad conditions in New York and wants a home and a child to love.  Martin wants a wife to keep up appearances and to care for his daughter when he's away on business.  It is a loveless marriage purely of convenience.  This book is very good!  It is about family secrets, fraud, friendship and love.  (Karen's review, 5 stars)

To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"The Last Thing He Told Me" by Laura Dave

In The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave, Owen and Hannah have been married for one year.  Owen has a daughter named Baily.  One day the FBI raids the place where Owen works.  He takes off and leaves Hannah a note saying "Protect her" meaning his daughter.  Where did Owen go?  Why?  Is he coming back?  Hanna and Baily are not close.  As they search for answers, their relationship is tested.

This is a good story that kept my interest.  It will be either a movie or a TV series.  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Apples Never Fall" by Liane Moriarty

In Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty, Stan and Joy have had 50 years of married life.  One night, a young girl shows up at their front door.  She needs help and the couple take her in and invite her to stay for a while.  That turns out to be longer than they thought it would be.  Then one day Joy and the girl, Savannah, are gone!  They do not answer phone calls.  Where did they go and why?  

This book goes back and forth in time.  I had no problem with that though some people (my wife for one) do.  It's a good storyline and very interesting characters.  (Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

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"The Judge's List" by John Grisham

The Judge's List by John Grisham is the attempt to bring a serial killer to justice.  The serial killer is a judge who is out for revenge and has no problem killing off anyone who in his mind did him wrong.  He is very patient and brilliant, waiting many years before committing the murder and leaves no hard evidence!  Jeri, the daughter of a law professor, the Judge's second victim, is the only person who is not on his trail and is out to see he is brought to justice.

Although this book is about a serial killer, it is not gory.  There is only one killing that goes into any detail.  The rest are already committed and have the method and motive in common.  I admired Jeri for her persistence but was afraid for her.  This book kept my interest but can't say it was fast-paced.  If you enjoy reading about investigations, this is a good one!  (Karen's review, 4 stars)

To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!